Cycling along Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way - For many years, a travel talk about a special tour has been a regular part of the pre-evening program for the Finne Run, and this will be the case in 2025 as well.

Last year's highlight was Robby Clemens' talk, who traveled on foot from the North Pole to the South Pole. In 2025, journalist Robert Neu followed suit, giving an engaging and informative account of his cycling tour in Ireland, naturally supported by plenty of film and image material. So, it was clear that we could expect impressive shots of the breathtaking landscapes in his luggage, thus providing a deep insight into Ireland's landscape and culture.

Cycling in Ireland on the Left - along Wild Atlantic Way

Cycling is now a popular and ever-growing activity in Ireland and a great way to experience the countryside up close, although the narrow country roads, which often still have to be shared with other cars, pose a certain challenge in themselves. Especially on the wrong side of the road! Ireland, the Emerald Isle, is known for its wild, rugged nature, but also for its fun-loving, hospitable inhabitants and the ever-growing cycling tourism industry. Passionate adventurer and photographer Robert Neu wants to test whether these clichés are actually true. So he sets out to travel the entire length of Ireland by bike.

Pure cycling routes without car traffic

There are two well-known EuroVelo routes in Ireland: EuroVelo 1 – Atlantic Coast Route and EuroVelo 2 – Capitals Route. Detailed, local information about EuroVelo 1 in Ireland can be found relatively easily here on the EuroVelo 1 Ireland website.

EuroVelo 2 is only partially completed, with over 110 km of the route fully open and traffic-free. Temporary road route options are available for incomplete sections.

But there are already several significant car-free cycleways in Ireland, including the following: Waterford Greenway, Midleton-Youghal Greenway, Limerick Greenway, Great Western Greenway, Royal Canal Greenway, and Old Rail Trail Greenway. The six routes are divided into stages averaging 60 km in length. A complete Wild Atlantic Way tour at this pace takes 6-7 weeks and covers a total of almost 2400 km, which alone is a month-long cycling holiday. Cycling enthusiasts can extend it by cycling along some of the peninsulas and headlands that dot Ireland's west coast. The route is now fully signposted in the northwest, from Derry to Westport.

Each of these routes offers a self-contained traffic-free cycling experience of 20 to 130 km. Each of these sections is also part of EuroVelo 1 or EuroVelo 2. Newer car-free cycleways are under construction or in the planning stages. Some of them also run alongside one of the EuroVelo routes and will be integrated once completed. There are also local signposted cycling routes on quiet country roads throughout the country, as well as several mountain bike centres with numerous trails. That's all there is to the situation in Ireland.

What's absolutely not guaranteed, however, is real cycling weather. So, good rain gear is always recommended. April and May are considered particularly beautiful months to travel to Ireland. April, June, July, and September are the months with the fewest rainy days on the island, and at 15°C, May is already mild: ideal for road trips or hiking, if the weather holds up.

This becomes all too clear during his talk: Robert Neu braves rain, bad luck, and breakdowns, moans about the elevation gain, and has to learn to take everything with Irish humor. A special goal of his project: to take a portrait photo of a "special" person every day, captured in an everyday situation. Robert draws on a wealth of funny stories about interesting and crazy people in Ireland.

So, he sets out to cycle all the way around Ireland. During his talk, however, the focus is clearly on the Wild Atlantic Way, the famous coastal road along the Atlantic.

The Wild Atlantic Way leads past the stunning Dingle and Beara peninsulas, as well as the legendary Ring of Kerry. Star Wars-like landscapes and adorable puffins await on Skellig Michael. The Aran Islands are characterized by harsh climates and Stone Age monuments. Robert Neu climbs the mountains of Connemara, goes on pilgrimage on St. Patrick's Day, and experiences authentic evenings full of music and conviviality in the country's quaint pubs. The journey takes you all the way around the island, from the milder south to the remote north, where time seems to stand still.

Mountains along the coast surround central plains. Carrauntuohill in County Kerry is the highest at 1,041 meters. The Shannon divides the island into two unequal parts and is the longest river at approximately 370 km, of which just under 250 km are navigable. This peninsula, also known in Ireland as the Iveragh Peninsula, extends far into the Atlantic and is considered by many visitors to be Ireland's most beautiful landscape.

Who is Robert Neu? Biker along Wild Atlantic Way

Robert Neu, born in 1981, studied linguistics, history, and journalism and has been traveling the world for over 25 years. He has lived in Canada, spent years in Siberia and Central Asia, and now lives in Leipzig. Travel and storytelling are his passion, and at his live events, he inspires visitors with his passion for this lifestyle and the art of storytelling. His show delights thousands of visitors every year at all major German travel festivals and series.

A humorous, beautiful talk: "Ireland – Wild Atlantic Ride" in the marquee at the Tauhardt sports field. Anyone interested in booking a talk by Robert Neu for an event can contact Robert via the following link.

Secret places in Ireland waiting to be discovered

Coral Strand, County Galway. ...
Ireland's Last Leprechaun Whisperer, County Louth. ...
Kerry International Dark-Sky Reserve, County Kerry. ...
The "Lake of Guinness", County Wicklow. ...
The Glens of Antrim, County Antrim. ...
Sail out into the Atlantic, County Cork.

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